Post by nadifakahin on Jul 19, 2012 9:22:21 GMT -6
NADIFAPATIENCEKAHIN
Shine a light through an open door
Full Name>>Nadifa Patience Kahin
Nicknames>>Nadi, as a shortening of her full name, is a pretty common one.
Age>> 3rd March 1988; 24
Staff or Student>> Staff - Science Teacher (specialist in Chemistry, can also teach Biology and Physics)
Gender>> Female
Sexuality>> Homosexual
Play By>> Jasika Nicole
Alias>> Summer
Turn away 'cause I need you more
Personality>>
In some ways, Nadifa fits into your archetypal scientist stereotype. She has a very analytical, detached way of looking at the world, preferring everything to be neat numbers and chemical reactions rather than messy emotions, and is generally happier lost in research than in a crowd. Reserved and calm, she is fairly cold and stand-offish (and, indeed, has gone through much of her life being called frigid... and other things less complimentary), and is far happier observing humanity than actually interacting with it. With a distinct tendency to view everyone around her as interesting experiments (she might be a chemist, but psychology is also something that interests her greatly) she is really not a very easy person to get know, and could never really be called 'friendly' by any stretch of the imagination.
Part of her distance from people is that she is incredibly, almost frighteningly intelligent, and frankly finds a lot of people rather boring. If you cannot easily switch between contemplating free radicals in the ozone layer and debating whether Twelfth Night can, in fact, be viewed as a tragedy, then she will be rather disappointed, for she is nothing if not a polymath, interested in a great deal outside her specific areas of study. She dabbles in a great many things, often doing a great deal of research into topics that have very little relevance to anything in her life, enjoying the acquisition of knowledge simply for its own sake. Though she finds many people boring, she was also brought up to not be cruel, and so she is not deliberately rude when she speaks to people, even if she finds them rather tedious. Instead, she tries to be very polite, and often ends up coming across as incredibly awkward, instead, as she's never sure how to correctly react to people and frequently misjudges situations. Though not skilled socially, she abhors cruelty, and has little - read: no - patience for bullies or those who would take advantage of others.
Though she is cool and analytical, she can also be incredibly passionate, and has an incredible focus which - if turned upon you - can be rather intimidating. When Nadifa decides she is going to do something, when she decides she is interested in something, she gives it her all, for the high standards that she holds herself to (and, oh, she holds herself to very high standards) allow her to do nothing less. She constantly pushes herself to be the very best she can be, and is interested, and passionate about, a wide variety of things, from chemistry, to horses (about the only thing she will allow herself to be 'soft' about), to photography, and a hundred things in between.
It is partly this passion that has led to her decision to teach (even if only temporarily, and mainly because she needs a steady paycheck), and partly the recognition of the impact that one of her own teachers had on her as a child. She may not understand many of her students, but she really does hope that she may be able to inspire in at least some of them a love for science. Slightly bizarrely, Nadifa would also be a fairly good person to go to if you are having problems, as she will not be judgmental, and will instead sit, listen, and then come up with a plan firmly grounded in logic and rational judgement, if rather lacking emotion. Her dislike for predators and bullies leads her to be a firm champion for the victimised and the troubled (as she as a child was often bullied), for even if her way of showing concern involves very little comfort and is rather dispassionate, she is entirely determined to help make the world a better, fairer place.
Bullied when she was young for her sexuality (among other things) she keeps her preference for women very quiet, and has absolutely no idea how to flirt whatsoever. If asked if she is interested in love, her answer is invariably 'no', as she does not see how it fits into her current plans for her life, and she certainly gives no impression of ever needing anyone, as she is fiercely independent and determined. She is this in all things, in fact, not just love. Little is allowed to get between her and her goals, and she will work herself to the bone to get what she wants. Fiercely stubborn, she's had to overcome enough obstacles in her life that she is hard-edged and very tough, never taking no for an answer and positively delighting in proving others wrong. She barely admits, even to herself, that she really would like someone to love, to come home to and curl up on the sofa with, someone to share the burdens of life with.
As a teacher is she is pretty tough and strict, expecting her students to pay attention, buckle down and work hard. In return, she awards effort - even if she does have to frequently remind herself that not everyone grasps concepts as easily as she - and puts her all into helping her students understand.
She is something of a dichotomy, cold and dispassionate about most things, entirely content to observe and record, and yet driven by a strong moral core, desirous to better the world. Nadifa is reserved, lacking in a sense of humour and awkward socially, yet she is also dedicated, contemplative and caring, in her own, rather cool, not particularly emotional fashion. Coolly calm even in the most fraught of situation, there is strength and often unrealised depth in Nadifa.
Likes>>
+ Research and discovery. Her first true love is the scientific method, the combining of knowledge and innovation to discover new things, and she is happiest doing even the most trivial of research-orientated tasks.
+ Experimentation. Give Nadifa a bunsen burner and some test tubes and she's happy.
+ Libraries. What is there now to like about stores of knowledge?
+ Peace and quiet.
+ Horses and riding. No-one was more surprised than Nadifa herself when she took to horses, but it gives her an outlet, a chance to switch her brain into a very different gear, and a physical outlet.
+ Being alone with her horses
+ Nighttime. Something about the dark, and the limitless stars is both soothing and invigorating for Nadifa.
+ The sky. In all of its moods, she can always find interest in it.
Dislikes>>
- Parties, or any situations where she is expected to interact casually with a great number of people.
- People being illogical.
- People who insist on talking to her and cannot take a hint otherwise.
- Bullies, and those who take advantage of others.
- Bigots and prejudice.
- Inefficiency.
- People not making the most of what they have.
Fears>>
- Not measuring up to the high standards she holds herself to.
- Dying without having made a difference in the world.
Hopes>>
- To go into forensic science
- To improve the horses she works with
- To inspire some of her students to love science
- To make the world a better place
Secrets>>
- As much as she comes across as cold and unfeeling, she would indeed like to find love.
- She keeps her sexuality very quiet, as she has experienced prejudice for being gay before.
It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny
Appearance>>
Nadifa is quite petite in appearance, about 155cm in height and slender, with not an ounce of fat or wasted flesh upon her frame. One could be forgiven for thinking that she is weak, but in fact most everything on her body is muscle and she possesses a wiry sort of strength. Finely boned, her facial features are quite striking, shapely eyebrows arching over serious, dark eyes and cheekbones being prominent enough to be noticeable without being overly large. Her hair curls tightly, and so she keeps it cut short enough that it isn't unruly, and instead curls across her scalp out of her eyes and any potential accidents with bunsen burners. Her warm skin colour is dark enough for her to have been bullied for it in school. She is aware she is aesthetically quite attractive, but views that knowledge with scientific dispassion rather than pride.
Clothing is something Nadifa considers - like most things in her life - very carefully, and probably too much. She is very careful to dress appropriately for any given situation, and mainly chooses warm reds, yellows and browns, or black, varying styles to suit the circumstance, though she does have a fondness for scarves. Her eyesight forces her to wear either contact lenses or glasses, and when out in public she normally chooses the former.
Markings>> None.
But I’ve gotta let it go
Medical History>> The normal childhood illnesses, a broken arm when she was 17, wears contact lenses/glasses.
Criminal History>> Other than a few speeding tickets, nothing.
Full History>>
Family:
Mother - Martha Grace Kahin, nee Woodson, 58, grocery shop co-owner, part-time nurse.
Father - Dalmar Kahin, 58, grocery shop co-owner
The most Somalian thing about Nadifa is her name, as she was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and is in fact only half-Somalian, her mother being as Canadian as they come. Her parents met in Somalia (when it was still the Somali Democratic Republic) when Martha was there as a nurse with Médecins Sans Frontier in 1976. A whirlwind romance and a marriage later, they returned to Canada and, despite everyone they knew saying the relationship was a huge mistake, have lived very happily ever since, just as in love with each other now as they were when they met, and Dalmar having eventually been granted Canadian citizenship.
They set up home in Edmonton, Martha working at a hospital and Dalmar setting up a small shop that soon proved to be very successful. They were comfortable, and happy, and Nadifa was a very planned child, the pair waiting until they were certain they would easily be able to support a child before Martha became pregnant.
Even at an early age Nadifa was a calm, reserved child, preferring to observe rather than get involved, and enjoying the company of adults far more than that of kids her own age. Her early years of school soon proved that she had a prodigious mind, and as such she was often separated from classmates not only by being a quiet child, but by being deliberately excluded by them. Never particularly outgoing, she became far more interested in school than friends, in reading than socialising, and studying than playing, and though her parents were concerned that their seven year old was happier with her nose in a book than being in a playground, they allowed Nadifa to choose her own path.
As such, she grew up an introverted, serious child, who spent little time interacting with children and preferred to either talk to no-one at all, or talk to adults. Always a favourite with teachers both for her natural intelligence and her diligent work ethic, she skipped a grade when she was nine, which did little to endear her to those in her school. It is likely that even without a fairly lonely childhood Nadifa would never have possessed very good social skills, but her closest friends being her parents (and she did, indeed, get along with them and love them both very much) certainly did her few favours in her future interactions with people. She was fairly content, though, not really wanting to have friends, as all of her classmates seemed particularly boring and stupid, and being quite happy spending all her evenings talking to her parents.
High school, however, proved to be far more unpleasant, as merely leaving her alone wasn't enough and she was soon a favourite target of the school bullies, picked upon for being a loner, for being a nerd, for being dark skinned, for not fitting in, for wearing glasses - for half a hundred of the cruel reasons people can come up with to dislike others. Vicious words followed her around, and she began to focus even more on her studies, finding a mentor in one of her science teachers, a man named Francis Barker. A physicist by trade, he allowed Nadifa to spend time in his lab over lunch breaks, and really opened her eyes to the beauty of science, to the magic of discovery, to the excitement of wanting to know more. Many of her happiest teenage memories are of that man and his classroom, and some of her inspiration behind her current teaching career is due to Mr. Barker. Though still close to her parents, she told them little of the constant bullying and the way it wore her down, not wishing to worry them. It was here that she really began to develop her independent streak and her determination to take on the world no matter what; it was here that she learned to keep getting up no matter how many times the world pushed her down.
Things only worsened when Nadifa became of the fact that she had little interest in boys, and was in fact both sexually and romantically attracted to girls, instead. She struggled with the realisation for several years, and when she did come out to her parents when she was 15, did so with the expectation that they would hate her for it. Her decision was prompted by the fact that she no longer wished to hide who she was from the people she loved most in the world, and yet she was still astounded when her parents didn't mind and, indeed, seemed proud of her for having the courage to tell them. Both Martha and Dalmar were firm on the fact that nothing would change how much they loved their daughter, and they were determined to be supportive.
Unfortunately, even supportive parents could do little to soften the blow when Nadifa was outed at school, by methods of gossip she still doesn't quite understand even today. Suddenly, she was not only being jeered at for being intelligent or ignored for having no friends, but was being shoved in the corridors for being a lesbian. Months of curses, her belongings being destroyed and shoves into walls culminated when one of the worst offenders shoved her down a short flight of stairs, breaking her arm.
At the hospital that evening the full extent of the abuse she was suffering was revealed to her parents, as Nadifa had been keeping it all very quiet and, horrified, they decided that Nadifa should change schools. She had no objections - for Mr. Barker had retired the previous year, and thus nothing tied her to her school - and a few weeks later was enrolled in a school a few miles out of Edmonton. There, she was determined to attract no attention at all, and kept her head down, though she allowed nothing to get between herself and her academics, and quickly outstripped her classmates once more.
Leaving high school was one of the greatest pleasures of Nadifa's life, and her schoolwork was good enough that she got hefty (and very much welcome) financial help from Harvard University, where she studied a general degree in science, specialising into chemistry in her final years. University was a joy for Nadifa, as she was finally studying with people who wished to study, for whom being intelligent wasn't something to be mocked, and though she was never particularly outgoing, she made several very close friends and was far happier than she had been in years.
It was one of these friends who introduced her to riding, bringing her along with them down to the stables where they rode, and allowing her to have a go. Nadifa herself was surprised by how much she enjoyed the experience, and soon enough found herself taking on a part-time job in order to allow her to pay for riding lessons. There was something entirely different about riding and the way it allowed her to use her brain that was wonderfully appealing, the physical activity being an outlet she hadn't known she needed, and she discovered that horses were amazingly non-judgmental listeners.
In fact, she soon discovered that she loved horses, loved how she could understand their body language and didn't have to worry about them lying, loved how they weren't duplicitious and wanted little and gave so much, loved how they were far easier to deal with than most people. More than a few times she has wished that she had had riding as an outlet during her school days, as she is certain than being able to be around horses - with their quiet ways and their understandable desires - would have improved her life greatly.
Finishing her degree left her slightly adrift, for though she had desires to go into forensic science (the idea of being able to use her skills to directly help people and to really make a difference appealing greatly), she doubted her ability to financially support herself through a master's, and financial aid was a lot less effusive with the downturn in the economy.
Contemplating her options, she did a teacher training course and then began to apply for teaching jobs, her reasoning being twofold: 1, it would allow her a steady income and the chance to save money, and 2, she well remembered the impact that Mr. Barker had had upon her life, and felt that she might be able to do something equally positive. Teaching is not merely a way to make money - if it was merely finances that concerned her, she could simply not ride - but a way of trying to improve the world, for Nadifa wishes to do that very dearly, inspired by her own experiences with injustice, and also because she feels the world can use improving in so many ways. Driven, therefore, by motives equally practical and moral, she was exceedingly glad to see that Blue Ridge Academy was offering her a job, for not only was the pay very good, but she would be able to continue her riding with ease.
And so she comes to Blue Ridge with plans for her future.
